Can a devout, Bible-believing Christian still become the head of a major Western political party in a post-Christian world? According to Stephen McAlpine in a recent column titled “Kate Forbes Is Done (or Why an Orthodox Christian Can Never Lead a Western Political Party Again),” the answer is no.
Forbes is running to replace Nicola Sturgeon as the head of the Scottish National Party–but unlike Sturgeon, she is not a trans activist, but a Presbyterian. She also openly shares the Free Church of Scotland’s position on issues like same-sex marriage (and indeed, it has been suggested that the SNP’s Gender Recognition Reform bill was rushed through while she was on maternity leave due to her presumed opposition to the legislation).
Throughout her career, Forbes has been open about what she believes. She has said that that how society treats the unborn is a “measure of true progress.” She has noted that having children outside of wedlock would be “wrong, according to my faith,” and has publicly backed religious freedom, including in the context of so-called “conversion therapy bans.”
Most bluntly, Forbes has stated that a “transgender woman” is a “biological man who identifies as a woman.” All those things are true–but all are presumed, in our current political climate, to be unsayable. On BBC’s Political Thinking podcast, she explained that faith comes first: “Politics will pass. I am a person before I was a politician and that person will continue to believe that I am made in the image of God.”
Predictably, the backlash to her candidacy has been fierce. The progressive gatekeepers in the press wish to ensure that a Presbyterian gets nowhere near political power, because to permit such a person a leadership position would be to endorse genuine diversity in politics.
As McAlpine notes, many have forthrightly stated that a woman with Forbes’ views has no place in politics. In his view, the Highlander’s chances of winning the leadership are nil: “Kate Forbes will not be First Minister of Scotland.” Indeed, McAlpine suspects that the no orthodox Christian can ever lead a major Western political party again (with the exception, presumably, of the United States–at least for the time being).
Most bluntly, Forbes has stated that a “transgender woman” is a “biological man who identifies as a woman.” All those things are true–but all are presumed, in our current political climate, to be unsayable. On BBC’s Political Thinking podcast, she explained that faith comes first: “Politics will pass. I am a person before I was a politician and that person will continue to believe that I am made in the image of God.”
Predictably, the backlash to her candidacy has been fierce. The progressive gatekeepers in the press wish to ensure that a Presbyterian gets nowhere near political power, because to permit such a person a leadership position would be to endorse genuine diversity in politics.
As McAlpine notes, many have forthrightly stated that a woman with Forbes’ views has no place in politics. In his view, the Highlander’s chances of winning the leadership are nil: “Kate Forbes will not be First Minister of Scotland.” Indeed, McAlpine suspects that the no orthodox Christian can ever lead a major Western political party again (with the exception, presumably, of the United States–at least for the time being).https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5970
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